Vikings excited to represent NFL in London

LONDON - The Minnesota Vikings touched down in London on Monday, and they spent part of Tuesday connecting with fans in the United Kingdom.

Players and coaches spent time with local kids, punting and passing and helping them stay fit through an NFL program called Play 60.

Despite the fun, the team knows there is a game to be played on Sunday when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While it's not your typical home game, the Vikings are still excited for the opportunity to be showcased by the NFL.

"We always like to be at your home venue in Minnesota with our fans no question, but we're going to have a lot of fans here," said Vikings coach Leslie Frazier. "We get the chance to be ambassadors for the National Football League so there's an upside to this. We get a chance to spread the good word of the NFL."

"It's pretty cool to be here, and it's cool that the NFL has teamed up and brought some of these games over here. We're kind of excited that the Vikings got to take part this year," said Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder.

KARE 11 has two crews in London. Eric Perkins and Rena Sarigianopoulos will head up this week's coverage. Tune in to KARE 11 on Saturday at 9 p.m. for a one-hour Vikings special.

And you can keep tabs on the KARE 11 crews in London via Twitter. Just follow @karevikes for all of our Vikings coverage from London. They'll be posting updates and photos all week leading up and during Sunday's game.

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